Jack

Contents

In Act I, Jack is wishing that his cow, Milky-White, would produce milk for him and his mother. His mother finally decides to send him off to the marketplace to sell his beloved cow for five pounds. Jack is saddened that he must see his cow leave, and stupidly sells his cow to the Baker and his wife for a sack of beans instead of what his mother had asked him to sell it for. Hoping to obtain his cow back, Jack asks the Baker if he would ever have his cow back, and the Baker agrees.

Returning home, his angry mother throws the beans into his backyard, which grew into an enormous stalk up to the kingdom of the Giants. Jack climbs the beanstalk and is greeted by the Giantess with open arms and warm hospitality. In a panic, he steals the Giants' gold in hopes to buy his cow back from the Baker and kills her scary husband. Seeing the Baker in the woods, he refuses to sell Milky-White back to Jack, even for five gold pieces. A depressed Jack runs back up the beanstalk to steal the Giants' hen that lays golden eggs. In yet another attempt to buy his cow back from the Baker, Milky-White is suddenly dead.

Venturing back into the woods, Jack meets Little Red Ridinghood, who shows off her wolf-skin cape and shiny knife. Trying to outdo her, he is dared by her to go up the beanstalk yet again and take the golden harp owned by the Giant. Coming back down, he sees his mother, worried sick, and the Baker and his wife trying to make the potion. Jack's Mother confiscates the harp from him, and he milks the revitalized Milky-White and the Witch drinks the potion.

Now extremely wealthy, Jack and his mother don't need to wish for food or milk, but Jack misses his kingdom in the sky. He ventures back into the woods, along with Cinderella , the Baker, his wife, and Little Red Ridinghood to slay the Giantess that was left grieving her husband.

Being the one who is blamed for the recent earthquakes caused by the Giant, the Witch finds Jack and brings him to the Baker, Little Red Ridinghood, and Cinderella. Around his neck is the Baker's Wife's scarf, and he is forced to tell the Baker of his wife's death. Fed up with being blamed for everything, Jack denies that it was his fault that the Giant is crushing the kingdom, and blames it on the Baker, sparking commotion about who's to blame after all. Ending their fight, the Witch tells them that it doesn't matter if it is all her fault, and then she vanishes from the curse that her mother placed on her when she was born.

Realizing that the blame doesn't matter, the remaining four plan to kill the Giant. They decide to lure her into an area smeared with pitch so that her feet will stick and she can be struck. Jack and the Baker decide to go to the tower to strike the Giant. At the tower, the Baker confesses to Jack that his mother was dead, that she was killed by the prince's Steward.

After the Giant is killed, everyone decides to turn home. Since Jack has nowhere to go, Little Red Ridinghood decides to adopt him and move in with Cinderella into the Baker's house to live happily ever after.